Mark Wegner, Twin Cities & Western Railroad

Mark was appointed to the position of President of the Twin Cities & Western Railroad (TC&W) and Minnesota Prairie Line (MPL) in 2007 while adding CEO of the TC&W, MPL and the Red River Valley & Western Railroad (RRVW) to his leadership responsibilities in January 2018.  In 2024 Mark relinquished the role of President but remains CEO. In this role Mark supports the leadership of the TC&W, MPL, and RRV&W and offers perspective and institutional knowledge. In addition to his involvement with transportation organizations, Mark is active in governmental relations.

Mark is currently president of the Minnesota Regional Railroads Association, whose members are the 4 Class 1’s and 17 short line railroads in Minnesota. Mark is a Board member of the Upper Mississippi Waterway Association. Mark is a member of the Minnesota Freight Advisory Council (MFAC). Mark is a member of Minnesota Governor Walz’s Governor’s Council on Freight Rail.

Mark is a past Board member of the American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) and served as a small railroad member of the 15 member Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) Rail Shipper Transportation Advisory Council (RSTAC).

Headquartered in Glencoe, MN, TC&W is a 229-mile regional railroad which runs between St. Paul, MN and Milbank, SD.  TC&W was formed in 1991 with the purchase of the track and structures and associated trackage rights from the Soo Line (now CPRS).  This is a segment of the former Milwaukee Road’s main line from Chicago to Tacoma. The Minnesota Prairie Line was formed in 2002 to operate 94 miles of former Chicago Northwestern tracks, owned by the Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority.  The MPL is a wholly-subsidiary of TC&W. In July of 2012, TC&W acquired the Sisseton-Milbank Railroad, which operates 37 miles of line between its namesake cities in South Dakota. Headquartered in Wahpeton, ND, RRVW commenced operations in 1987 as a 500-mile regional railroad servicing customers in North Dakota and Minnesota over track acquired from the Burlington Northern now BNSF.

Mark joined the Twin Cities & Western Railroad Company at start-up as Accounting Manager in 1991.  Two years later, in 1993, he was promoted to Comptroller.  In July 2002, Mark assumed additional responsibilities as Senior Vice President and General Manager.  Four years later, in 2006, he was appointed to the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.  In May 2007 Mark was promoted to President of the Twin Cities & Western Railroad.

Prior to railroad employment, Mark had been Senior Accountant at Moore Data, Minneapolis, MN.

Mark is a native of Brooklyn Center, MN.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree-Accounting from the College of St. Thomas (now University of St. Thomas), St. Paul, MN.